The French company Ratier-Figeac is a subsidiary of the US company UTC Aerospace Systems who was the first propeller manufacturers worldwide.
Today, the company provides the aviation industry with propellers, cockpit systems and cabin equipment. Amongst others they manufacture propellers for the military transport aircraft Airbus A400M.
After several manufacturing stages the individual component is transported via a crane runway in an air, humidity and temperature controlled room for further processing. For the separation of this specific area
Butzbach delivered three high-speed doors NOVOSPRINT with cut-outs for crane transport rails runways: The split horizontal opening principle allows the integration of crane runways in the centre. Unlike vertically opening doors the complete opening height is immediately accessible, whereby a collision of door and material is not possible – this factor was particularly important for the customer in regards to the highly sensitive and elaborately produced blades.
In order to keep the pressure and temperature conditions in the specific area, which is constantly enriched with filtered air, as constant as possible, short opening and closing times are of particular importance. Sensors allow the door to be opened within fractions of a second as soon as the manually operated claw approaches with the rotor. When gripping arm and blade have completely passed, the door closes automatically immediately.
As there is no other door in the room, the installed high-speed doors are also used as emergency exit doors which means they have to give a reliable way for quick opening in an emergency. This is done either by the operation of the emergency button or auto-matically in case of a fire alarm. Due to the self-actuating supervision of all safety devices the escape route function of the door remains guaranteed, assuring at any time the safety of the users, even in case of an interference of the current or in case of breakdown of a part.
